Susan Atkins to stay in prison
AP reports that the state parole board today ruled against letting the terminally ill former Manson family member out of prison during the final months of her life, as the editorial board urged last month. The board struck a careful balance between its official opposition to the death penalty and its belief that Atkins should stay incarcerated:
Our system of justice attempts three noble aims: punishment, protection of society and deterrence (some would add rehabilitation). Atkins poses no physical threat to society. Her sentence and time in prison undoubtedly have sent a deterrent message to any would-be Mansonite still lurking out there. And she may well have been rehabilitated: While serving her sentence, Atkins has written a book, explored religions, taught classes. Has she been punished? Yes, of course; 37 years is not trivial. But Atkins gravely wounded our collective peace, and society has the right, even the obligation, to exact vengeance. For some criminals, including Atkins, the crime is so great that the price should be imprisonment until death.
The editorial also noted that the board once broke its anti-execution stance by urging the death penalty be imposed on Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. For more on the editorial board's death penalty stance, check out this Cold Copy, which takes up everyone from Ethel and Julius Rosenberg to Stanley "Tookie" Williams.
*Photo of Susan Atkins in 1969, courtesy Associated Press.
The article is written in a way that is confusing as to which "board" is being quoted. I know now that it is a reference to a previous article written by the Times editorial board, but I still find this article to found unclear upon first read.
Posted by: Veronica | May 02, 2009 at 02:25 PM
Susan Atkins already had a criminal record long before meeting manson. and to use the poor excuse of her being "brainwashed" or under the influence of drugs is ludicrous. and the comparison to those wh oparticipated in the mass murder of more than 6 million people in WW2 is totally uncalled for. Every one of those people who participated in the Holocaust whether they put someone in a cattle car, poured in the Zyklon B, they all had a choice to make and they mad eht choice to assist in mass murder. There is no excuse. Nor is there any excuse for Susan atkins and the rest of those who chose to kill at the behest of Manson. I for one do not feel she should be paroled but then I don't have the word. If anyone does it is all the families of the victims. The comment about Debra Tate was horrible. How does one get over something like that? The pictures of the victims are heartbreaking. I am not sure what Ms. Atkins remorse is or where her religoin has come from. She will answer to a much higher authority upon her death but I will not ask for her to suffer. That would put me on the level of a killer and I will not go there. The Tate/LaBianca case and all its horrors will never go away. I am sure there are people who do love Ms. Atkins. Just as there are many who loved all the victims. Let them make the choice. Only God knows what is in the heart of Ms. Atkins and let's leave that to Him to judge. And whether she remains in prison or not it will still cost the tax payers to maintain her. But that point is moot. I ma sure that over the past 39 yeaars she has been haunted for her past crimes and that in itself must be hell to live with.
Posted by: rosie | December 11, 2008 at 05:09 PM
To everyone that wants to put the sole blame on Manson: Susan Atkins was involved in criminal activity before she even met the man, she participated in armed robberies, which she did very little prison time for, and even said to the officer that she should have just killed him when he caught her with a gun. Then she met Manson and fell into his b.s. and bought it, because she wanted to. She participated in the Tate killings because she wanted to, not to mention she was also convicted of Gary Hinman's death, and the LaBianca'a because she was willing and able. Then during the trial made a mockery of the deaths of 7 innocent victims. She renounced Manson after the death penalty was comutted, when she saw an oppertunity to be paroled. She blames Manson so to me that proves he does not accept responsibility and her remorse came after as well. Shes an actress!! She turns it on and off at will. God knows whats in her heart so I hope she has truely asked for His forgiveness. I believe she should remain in prison until her death, no matter the cost to tax payers.
Posted by: Proud Mamma | December 03, 2008 at 08:14 AM
It's now late November 08 and i imagine she is still hanging on. I have just read Helter Skelter and after reading that I say, let her rot where she is. There is no forgiveness for killing so many, tasting the blood of your victims, and killing an unborn baby. Whether or not she did it, she was there and was convicted. Her 'who cares' attitude when questioned, even during the penalty phase of the trial was unbelievable! She said, I killed her, so what (basically) so, she's dying, Who cares~
Posted by: Rainee | November 29, 2008 at 05:28 AM
susan actually did not kill anyone, she was there and was active, but she never actually killed anyone,,, not that makes much of a difference,,, everyone deservse a second change,, she was very young and missed up when she meet manson,,, the bible tells us that the gates to heaven are narrow and very few are able to enter the gates to heaven,,, but the gates to hell are wide
Posted by: BAKERMAN | October 21, 2008 at 11:27 AM
I WAS ONLY 12 WHEN SUSAN ATKINS KILLED SHARON TATE BUT I REMEMBER IT WELL, I REMEMBER HOW BEAUTIFUL SHARON TATE WAS AND HOW HAPPY SHE WAS TO BE HAVING HER FIRST CHILD, I AM SORRY FOR SUSANS ILLNESS AND SUFFERING BUT I DO NOT THINK SHE SHOULD BE RELEASED, I HOPE SHE HAS GIVEN HER HEART TO JESUS BECAUSE WHEN SHE DIES, THATS WHEN SHE;LL WALK FREE AND NOT BEFORE THAT,
Posted by: K. LABREE | September 25, 2008 at 01:02 AM
attention all you bleeding heart liberals who think she should be released: How much mercy did this monster show sharon tate when she begged her for her baby's life and to have her baby? the same amount of mercy shown then is being shown now. god always repays an act for an act.
Posted by: nickolai | August 30, 2008 at 05:44 AM
My family lived a few blocks from the Tate estate. Something died in us upon hearing of the slaughter. Our feeling of safety. I have never felt safe since then, no matter where I live. We spent years wondering if any of the Manson family checked up on our house, looked in our windows while choosing their vicitms. After all these years and I still shake at the thought.
God forgive me for what I'm going to say, but I hope that Susan feels the same pain all those poor people felt when she was slicing through their flesh. She's monster, trash that should have been disposed of then and there, along with all the other members who acted out such crimes. Justice was not served. Where is the justice when the family memebers of the deceased are forced whether they want to or not, to pay taxes for their upkeep??!!
I wonder what kind of a man can marry such a woman. Feeling her hands on his skin, knowing she held the knife that killed Sharon, her unborn child and God knows who else. How can a man love such a monster?
Rot in hell Susan
Posted by: Mariella Hondas | August 30, 2008 at 01:32 AM
I say let her rot in jail. Why should anyone show her mercy when she was the one who murdered a pregnant woman?? The all should have been executed in 1972 and have the victims' families manning the switch!
Posted by: Michael | August 08, 2008 at 07:50 PM
Sounds like she is on her way to some vegitative state, followed by death from the brain tumor, but I do have two thoughts on the issue. First, it's a damn good thing we all don't have to pay like she has for something done in 1969. Looking back on my life, I'd like to think that many transfromations have occurred, and every 5 years or so I'm a different person, especially considering all the phases I've (we've all) been through, like the teen years, college, grad school, work, kids, getting older. I'm sure Susan has undergone these many transformations and is a completely different person than she was in 1969. Second, if the victims families just want to see her suffer, then they have that; but, if they wanted some sort of restitution or living penance from Susan and the others (except Charlie), I think those girls as grown women could have done more to repay their debt outside, on a tight leash. As twisted as society is today, think of the appearance money and speaking/book fees those girls could have generated that could have gone into the victims' families' pockets. Too late now - the girls won't get out, all will remain bitter.
Posted by: Cesare | August 08, 2008 at 07:43 PM
I don't understand our judicial system. If you looked at the crime scene photos on-line then you can only hope she never is released. I felt sad for her situation until I saw the photo of sharon tate and the others that were so savagely killed. There was no sense in the hideoness of the murders and the evilness these pictures present. I unfortunately had the opportunity to meet Susan and there is an synester side to her. I never witnessed the model prisoner and it was evident there is a dark side.
Posted by: tiffany | August 02, 2008 at 05:01 AM
Susan Atikins is exactly where she needs to be. If she is as incapacitated as her lawyer/husband claims, one bed is as good as another to spend your final days. If she were released, she still would be a drain on society. Being unemployed, indigent, and terminal, she would be elgible for Medicare and Medicaid and the state and federal government would continue to pick up the tab. Atkins was shown mercy when her death sentence was overturned and she was not executed. Her brother claims they were abused. If that is true, I am sorry for her victimization. However, many people are abused and do not go out and commit premeditated, savage butchery. Atkins has lived nearly 40 years longer than Sharon Tate. While incarcerated she married twice, had conjugal visits, and earned a college degree. She had a son who she did not raise but was able to see and hold him. Sharon Tate never saw her son on this earth. Susan's son was adopted and hopefully has had a full and happy life, untainted by his "mother's" scandal. Sharon's son never drew his first breath, took his first steps, had a first day of school, graduated high school and college, got married and had his own children.
I personaly believe that Atkins is using her jail house religion to attempt to manipulate the system and secure a release from prison. She has never assumed any responsibility nor expressed any remorse for her henious actions. "I was brainwashed" (therefore it wasn't me). "It was the drugs." (I didn't do it). "There is no apology big enough." ( so I can't apologize to the victims families.) If she has truly given her heart to the Lord and had a genuine conversion experience then that is a blessing for her. However, Atkins must still answer to the powers here on earth as well. Life should mean life. The only way she should leave prison is in a hearse. Hopefully, her family will bury her privately in an unmarked grave. Having a known, marked gravesite, will draw the macabre, and also draw those people who are still so horrified at what she did, that they will want to desecrate her grave. I do feel sympathy for her family, they, too, are victims of her crimes. She would like time to say her goodbyes to her loved ones privately. Sharon Tate did not have that option. Atkins time on earth will soon be over. I am sure the staff will be sensitive and allow her family to say their goodbyes privately. She will stand before the only One who can judge her. Perhaps she can ask the Tate Family, Abigail Folger, Vyteck Frykowski, Jay Sebring, Stephen Parent , and the Labiancas for their forgiveness and compassion
Posted by: Cyndiejean | July 30, 2008 at 03:58 PM
Why don't all you Repuke types say that Tate, Folger and the La Biancas deserved it b/c they didn't pack gauges and Nines in their homes and cars?? Personally I don't believe in that. This kind of crime is quite rare.
Some of those grocery chain owners are not pushovers, nor Eagle Scouts. My late grandfather fell over some bailing wire outside a store in the midwest. He accepted a small settlement b/c "with those people, it ain't worth it."
I have compassion for the three Manson girls, think they should have been released years ago, especially Susan. Ahnode is his usual Nazi self.
Posted by: Thaddeus Buttmunch | July 27, 2008 at 08:11 AM
This is just such a sad and horrible mess. I honestly think that they should have been executed in a timely manner after the penalty phase of their trial. In illinois there was a death row prisoner named richard speck who made videos where he laughed about his crimes while getting high on drugs. I think it is commendable that Susan Atkins tried as best she could to atone for her crimes and make what amendments she could in prison. I hope that god shows her more mercy than she did to her victims. I think the only ones who could speak about compassionate release would be the victim’s families. There was no one to hear Sharon Tate's pleas except her killers who showed no remorse. While prison is very brutal I think Susan Atkins and the rest came out way ahead of Sharon Tate and the other victims in terms of the compassion they were shown. I'm not wise enough to know what the right thing to do is but I feel that compassionate release would be inappropriate for Susan Atkins and the rest of the Manson killers. My sincerest hope is that the victims of these brutal crimes are at peace and that all of the families nvolved are able to heal.
Posted by: Ed | July 23, 2008 at 06:20 AM
She spent her entire adult life behind bars. Her release would not of been to her benefit because she is terminally ill, one leg amputated and paralyzed. It would be to her familys benifit who did not commit the crimes.
Let her go for crying out loud. She is basically out anyway at a local hospital.
Posted by: Cliff V | July 21, 2008 at 11:24 AM
In my opinion I say let Susan Atkins out for her remaing days. When the crimes were comitted Susan was under the spell of a madman and under the influence of some heavy duty street drugs. These ar not excuses but I think should factor into the equation. It was either die at the hands of Charles Manson or do a very sick and twisted crime and and pay the piper later. Susan wrote a book about 30 years ago that hopefully has helped a great many teens and young adults stay away from those types of cults to begin with. Her day of judgement is close and it is not up to us as humans to make those judgements. So, I say let her out, let her touch some flowers, smell the ocean breeze one more time. It is not going to hurt any of us one bit.
Posted by: Dianne | July 18, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Boy, Susan Atkins…… that really brings back some memories…..
I was about 21 or 22 working at Orbach's in Beverly Hills in the print shop making signs for the store when that all happened. It was a few months before I got into the special effects lighting business. I was eating dinner by myself at Alphie's on Sunset Blvd. one weeknight in September not even a month after those murders. Susan Atkins was walking the Strip, probably panhandling, and out of the crowd she just plopped herself down at my table. Alphie’s was a sidewalk café and my table was right by the street entrance. I was through with dinner and drinking a cup of coffee while watching all the freaks parade past. She introduced herself as Sadie Glutz and started telling me this crazy story about the "Family" she was a part of. I figured she was a very spaced out druggie, and tried to get her to buzz off. She was filthy dirty and really skuzzy looking in her long dirty madras hippie dress. I remember thinking she had the most unusual fingers I had ever seen. They were long and skinny, and her fingertips almost came to a point. Her tiny narrow fingernails were also really dirty. Anyway, she just kept on and asked me over and over again to give her a ride home. I tried to ignore her, and went in to pay and leave. She followed me, and kept saying that it was only a block away. HA! When I went out back to get in my car, she followed me out there too. She would not take no for an answer. I was driving a classic '62 Mark II Jag, (I still have it) and she just HAD to have a ride in it. I figured WTF, I'll take her a block and be rid of her. Well, then she kept saying that it was just around the next corner. She had me turn left, and the next thing I knew I was on the freeway heading north. Then she said it was the next exit. That kept on until we got to Chatsworth. Then up a mountain that looked like a scene from a Hopalong Cassidy movie to the old movie ranch where they were all hiding out. We got stopped by a couple of cops in the road on the way up there. They had their guns out and said they were after a guy that they thought they may have winged. They searched my trunk, and then let us go on. They told us not to stop for anyone on foot up ahead. To this day I never have figured out what that was all about. I pulled into the rundown ranch, and parked at the hitching post. I knew right away that I could be in real trouble when this really scurvy looking ragtag bunch came out of one of the storefronts and started eyeing me and my car. The Jag, my handmade Italian shoes, and handmade leather coat had them licking their chops. Something told me I would have to play my cards right if I was going to get out of there alive. It never occurred to me then that they could have had anything to do with the recent grisly murders, but they sure looked like they might have something to do with mine.
Anyway, I met all the freaks that were at that ranch, including the old blind man, the little witch who lived outback in a chicken coop, the old cowgirl, and Charlie himself along with all his minions. Charlie told me all about their place in the desert, and asked me to join the group. I was flattered. He said they were going to smuggle dope across the border from Mexico on gliders and get rich. I told him that sounded like a great idea. They needed someone with a legitimate job to get a baby out of protective services the next day when the mother was getting out of jail. Well, of course I told them I would be glad to let them stay with me. So, they let me leave with all my stuff after giving me their phone number. Atkins gave me the number and said it was the number for "Spahn's Family", as she referred to them. I told her I would call her first thing the next day. She told me I was her Sir Lancelot. She said we could all go up in the canyon and have an orgy after we got the baby back. I gave her a phony number and told them I worked at May Co. Then after deftly avoiding a kiss on the cheek, I got the hell out of there. The next morning at work, I told a couple of the guys all about the weirdos I met the night before. I told them the whole story, and we all got a big laugh out of it. I don't remember exact dates, but it was only a couple of weeks or so until one of the guys walked in one morning with the LA Times. He flopped it down in front of me and said they had caught my buddies up in the canyon for killing Sharon Tate. I looked down at the front page and there they all were. I was stunned. That was when I realized that it really was a good thing I had gotten my ass out of there. Well, a couple of hours later after the story had spread all over the store, the head of security came into my office and told me I needed to go downtown to the police station and talk to someone in the homicide division. He said he heard about my encounter with the Manson bunch, and that the cops wanted to talk to anyone who had any contact with them. I left work and went downtown to be interviewed by a detective. He asked me a lot of questions that I couldn't answer, but he mainly wanted to know what kind of music was playing on the stereo when I was there. I told him they were playing Beatles music, which they were. I also told him about the two officers that stopped us on the way up there. He didn’t comment on that, but he gave me his card and told me to call him if I thought of anything else. Well, I didn't care to think of anything else, but I kept his card. I still have it. I still have the old Jag too, and thanks to my quick thinking, I still have my life. I saw recently where they were looking for more bodies of people killed by those creeps in the desert, and up in Devil’s Canyon where Sadie Glutz suggested we go.
Posted by: Bob | July 17, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Once Susan Atkins, is gone, I hope that the realtives of the victims...maybe find some sort of closure.
Posted by: Scotty Davis | July 17, 2008 at 10:48 AM
What FAMILY does Susan Atkins have? We only hear from the man who married her while she has been in prison and serves as her attorney (paid for by tax dollars to represent her).
I want to actually see her blood relatives, not some paid legal whore who has more incentive to profit from the book he might write than to actually provide her medical care.
Maybe this all boils down to his paycheck stops coming in the mail when her legal processes and requests are terminated....that is what James Whiteshead is truly fighting.
Posted by: Money Gal | July 16, 2008 at 05:19 PM
I have to wonder if Atkins cares all that much about where she dies. She's toast and she knows it. It's her loved ones who care, I'd bet. I'd bet they'd like society to sort of forgive Atkins by releasing her, as the her family already has forgiven.
Posted by: harry | July 16, 2008 at 04:23 PM
...."THis is WHAT A POLICE STATE LOOKS LIKE FOLKS!
...."LOVE THAT REPUBLICAN RUN NEW POLICE STATE!
They controlled all three branches of Government for the last 12 years, they control the U.S. Supreme Court, and are and have been obstructing the People Business in the U.S. SENATE!
In conclusion, "THE REPUBLICANS HAVE RUINED THE UNITED STATES, and THEIR BOY BUSH", TODAY'S AP REPORTS JOB APPROVAL RATING....LOWEST IN HISTORY OF ANY STITTING PRESIDENT, 25%
Now we "SEE A DYING WOMAN" POLICE STATE WON'T RELEASE" "AS A REGISTERED VOTER NOW YOU SEE WHY I NEVER VOTE REPUBLICAN, AND THE MESS THEY HAVE MADE/FACT!
Far far too many American's are sitting in our over crowded jails who shouldn't even be in there! .........Thousands!
....RECORD NUMBERS ARE SITTING THERE NOW! 7,000,000 in overcrowded jails we are building faster than factories! 1.6 MILLION in our OVERCROWDED PRISONS, MOSTLY KIDS!
...."Yep as a registered VOTER/VET USAF, "I DIDN"T VOTE FOR THIS!
SO....I'll leave you with this,
......."BARACK 08! "I'm VOTING FOR HIM, AND I'm WORKING FOR HIM! Just like I'm working for America, will we restore what the REPUBLICANS LOST!
...And, We will....see Injustice corrected and justice done!
....."Because....."True Patriotism, "Hates Injustice In Its Own Land..........."MORE....."Than Anywhere Else."
---Clarence Darrow
Posted by: Tom Birchfield | July 16, 2008 at 02:09 PM
Let her go... she's paid for her crime to a higher authority. Geez, what's she gonna do for christsakes, she's only got one leg and can't hardly put sentences together. It's time to let this rest. The more heinous we make this crime the more legendary this group becomes. We've really set a good example here. Everybody already thinks it's pretty fishy that as soon as they all get death back at the trial they get commuted to life. That's where the mistake was made! These people never should have been sent to prison... if anything they should have been seen to a psychiatric facility.
Posted by: Lucifer Rising | July 16, 2008 at 11:27 AM
I lived near there, could have been me or my family at the time as their butcher victims.
Die in prison murdering bitch! And burn in HELL !
Posted by: CA Resident | July 16, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Let's get some things straight and out in the open. "If" Atkins had been released, she would still be a huge drain on society since she has no means to support herself or to obtain medical care. Most likely, she would create even more financial hardships for us all, and I have a hard time thinking that there is a line of people jumping at the chance to provide care to her...they'd be ridiculed and harassed by their own families and friends as well as an overwhelming majority of society.
As for "her immediate family", I've yet to see any such definition of her supposed family except for that so-called husband of hers that is leading the fight to get her paroled. Isn't it ironic that he just happens to be one of her attorneys? In that sense, he is PAID by the state and therefore would have a vested interest to get her paroled not only to boost his career but I believe he has a book deal he might be shopping around. After the Stanley Tookie debacle outing the personal profit interests of his main supporters, we absolutely MUST be skeptical of this request for compassion. Susan Atkins is not so much the focus as is the attack on the judicial system, original sentence imposed and the attempt to thwart the final sentence in which she was slated to remain in prison for the remainder of her days...not just the remainder of her healthy days.
Posted by: Money Gal | July 16, 2008 at 10:03 AM
The parole board made the right call on this case!
Posted by: Tom Freeman | July 16, 2008 at 09:45 AM